Good news and she has my continued prayers.
Hugs, Tiggs

From one hand - consumerism. We have become concentrated on material wealth and swiped the spiritual under the rug, as it doesn?t serve those who are for the money in a rat race. Just take a look at commercials ? there are no Be Kind, Help Another among Have To Have This To Be Like That. Kindness doesn?t sell that well. From the other hand ? drugs. Which to so many are the only known ways to ?feel good?. Personally I?d blame more the first one. The modern standards of living are being dictated by those who are making money out of it.

That's good news (mostly) about Marian, but I will continue to keep her in my thoughts.

I, too, am appalled by the ongoing breakdown of society. People seem incapable of recognizing that others have the same feelings they have. Not only do they have a lack of empathy, they have a lack of intelligence. The schools do nothing anymore but act as free babysitters who teach the standardized tests that will be given in the spring. The rest of their time is spent trying to prevent one group from being harmed by the other group. How can they teach when that is what their jobs have become?

Because CHRIST has been taken out of 'Christ'mas.
It's all about money, greed and who has more.
I have no Christmas spirit this year and I used to be the Christmas Fairy. It is too sad what it has become.
Hugs, Tiggs

I think it comes down to desensitization and a break down of basic discipline. Everybody these days seems to have confused discipline with some form of cruelty and it's created a breed of young adults who think it's all about them. Oh, no, we can't punish Little Johnny for his bad deed because he might begin to think that he himself is bad and we wouldn't want to rough up his self esteem so we'll just give him a pass as his bad behavior escalates. He's entitled to whatever he wants and if he can't get it by fair means, he'll get it by foul because that's what he's seen on TV and in the movies. He's never been told 'no' and there's never been any conscequences for his actions.

I grew up in a small town with all the same neighbors for years. My parents knew everything I did from the time I left the house until the time I got home. The whole community watched the kids but nowadays I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts that most people barely know the people living next door to them let alone the ones down the street so there's a feeling of 'why should I involve myself' and forget telling a parent that their kid has done something wrong because 'Little Johnny would never do something like that'.

It's not going to get any better until we pull together as communities again, stop sticking our heads in the sand, and start putting a stop to this crap before it begins but I don't really imagine that happening. As a country we've isolated ourselves from most of the rest of the world and we do it as a society as a whole to the detrement of our communities.

Just my opinion.

Good news about little sis..
;)
As to why the crime ? I think part of it is gangs, drugs, broken homes, kids nowdays.. mostly I think in cities.. (I could be wrong there) but I think they just have no respect for life. they have no wonder in their own.. I am not sure why it keeps escalating, but it is downright frightening to me.. .. I won't walk alone at night.. no way!!